The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1887-03-23


help. The cook and the coachnan fitted
past him These were all the persons in the
house at the time, except his wife and chill
dren. The crowd came pouring in from the
street. and in another moment the grounds
| were full of people. The house was mass
| of flame Heavensi were his boys in therei
He fancied he heard a CRY. He darted toward
the fire like an insane person. Strong men
| caught him by the wrists and held him back
In scarcely more time than il takes TO read
| this the fire had done its work. Only the
| bare outer walls of the house were left The
| inner walls had fallen in. What had they
| buried under their direful ruinsi One banded
| Philip some clothing He had forgotten he
| had only his night clothes on.
1t was pitiful thing so see him, crying for
his children. calling them by their names,
| searching for them under the trees, peering
| into corners of the outbuildings, if hapiy
| they might not be hidden there All that
night he went on crazier than his insane wife
| Toward morning he remembered that he was
| a man He collected himself
Messengers, descriptions of the lost children
| were sent in every direction. There were
| days, weeks of heartache for the stricken IA
ther, but no tidings of his darlings came.
Where was his wifel It was the conclu-
sion, al first thought, that she had been burned
agony that night Philip had not given much
thought to her. But next morning message
| came from Myra's mother. His wife was at
| her house, and would he, her husband, take
| her away at once, and provide for heri She
had fled there in the night, from the fire.
| Madam did not feel safe to have her in the
| house
Philip had no home for her now. There
remained only one place. The poor, de-
| mented creature went to a lunatic asylum
The origin of the fire was matter of mys-
terry Nothing certain could be found out.
But the day after it happened the coachman
came to Philip with the air of one who had
| something TO communicate.
at don't look well in man to be telling
tales on a woman, Mr.. Dumoray," he said.
@But Mary who tended on Mrs. Dumoray,
left her last night and went to a ball. l
saw her at midnight l was ont myself, and
don't deny it, and didn't come home till 2
O'Clock l saw a bright light in the library,
where the piles of newspapers are. | thought
it was you up reading, and / didn't look in
went by easylike, for didn't want you to
| know ! was out SO late. put off my shoes
and slipped around to the back stairs. | saw
Mrs. Dumoray going along the hall toward
your room, with night lamp in her hand.
There was nobody TO watch her, and she
Slipptd Otilf anu tAiiiA<> ~ 'S7 h~A SSN tHS
house atlre.
Philip thought so too, remembering what he
had seen But the boys, his children? Had
she carried them in their sleep into her own
room, or into the library, before she lit the
fret 1t was an awful thought
The boys were at first given up to have
perished in the burning building. But Mr..
Dumoray had yet to learn the depth of
deviltry and cunning of which insane hate is
capable New troubles awaited him. He had
none to whom he could turn for help. His
father and mother were now both dead. They
had never been the same to him after his
marriage. 1t had caused them displeasure
and disappointment they We're never quite
able to overcome. He took lodgings near the
ruins of his home, resolved to penetrate the
mystery of the disappearance of his boys.
He had had the debris of the building care
fully dug out and examined. A council OF
eminent experts was summoned They
searched the burned remains. No trace of
bone OF of flesh could be found. After laying
their heads together they rendered an opinion
of a wisdom and profundity such as only
medical and chemical experts can give,
The law has waxen nose, which the law
yer can turn to the right or left as he pleases,
says the German proverb. So has medicine.
The verdict of the learned ones this
wise:
"The undersigned have to report that they
have carefully examined different portions of
the ashes and emhers taken from the ruins of
Mr. Philip Dumoray's house. They have
subjected the same to rigid analysis. In their
Judgment traces have been found of a sub
stance which may be construed to be the
ashes of human remains AT the same time
they deem it necessary to state that similar
ash is sometimes the residuum from the con-
sumption by fire of other organic compounds.
JAMES BENSON, NJ. D.,
"H. t. ToMPKINs, NJ. D.,
81 L. BOYD, Pharmacist"
Here was wisdom.
Philip Dumoray was just where he was be-
fore What should he do next9 He sought
every possible source of information. He
examined the newspapers with fear and hope
every morning, only TO be overcome with
the same dull, dead despair. One morning,
for his comfort and encouragement, this met
his eye:
"Readers of The Daily News viii remember
the mysterious fire which destroyed Mr..
Philip Dumoray's house on Linden street a
few weeks ago. At the time there were many
conjectures as to its origin, but none that
seemed to offer solution of the mystery.
Among the rumors current is the unpleasant
one that Mr.. Dumoray set fire to his own
mouse. Inc EeuLleTlduS Hlle Is CuI OI QeT
mind and is now in the Iron Gate asylum.
The unfortunate Mrs. Dumoray was before
her marriage a young lady of remarkable
beauty and accomplishments, and, it is said,
was crazed by domestic unhappiness. She
has still some sane moments, however. Dur
ing some of these flashes of reason she has let
fall rambling remarks which beyond doubt
point to her husband as the author of the
fire Her disordered brain clings to the fixed
idea that he removed the twin boys and then
fired the house. This opinion was said to be
shared by Mrs. Dumoray's mother, with
whom the unhappy woman took refuge
when she escaped from the flames.
"Such was the rumor, too unpleasant to be
| credited. Accordingly, q reporter of The
Daily News was sent to the house Of Mrs
Dumorays mother TO trace the origin of the
ugly suspicion, if possible Mrs Bliss is
lady noted for her charitable deeds and moves
| In the highest social circles.
@Our reporter was admitted to an inter-
view, and the following conversation took
place:
"Reporter-I have called, madam, to ascer-
tain your opinion as to the truth of the rumor
| that your son-in-law set fire to his own house.
Mrs. Bliss seemed overcome with emotion.
| Aff1iction such hers should, perhaps, be
sacred from the public eye. But the public
is interested in unveiling the mystery, perhaps
| the crime, that hes back of the fire on Linden
street. The lady spoke at length, with visible
reluctance substantially as follows:
Mrs BlissI would be. far from laying
any straw in the way of my daughters hus-
| band. He has enough to answer for as it Is.
| My poor darling's mental condition, and
what brought her to it, are well enough
| known.
| Reporter Did you understand your
daughter at any time to convey the impres-
| sion that she saw Mr.. Dumoray applying q
match to the combustible material in the
/ libraryl
| Mrs. Bliss-Of course my poor daughter Is
| out of her mind. What she says may be
fact, or it may be only an insane fancy. But
| when she has seemed to be in her right senses
| she has insisted from the first that she saw
| her husband carry the children down stairs
| and out of the door to the rustic garden house.
| He went carefully, so as not TO waken them.
| He left them there, and went into the library.
| Ny daughter watched him. She saw bright
blaze in the corner of the room Then she
| ran away and came TO me. She was fright
| ened almost to death, as well she might have
been, poor darling
| aReporter-W hat motive could Mr.. Dunno
ray have for the deedl
Mrs. Bliss-The house was heavily in
sured, though would not wish to think a.
| man of his wealth would commit such
crime on that account. He was educated In
Germany He has often been heard to re
gret be ever left there. He could hide the
children awhile, and then go to Germany and
| take them with him, after the excitement OF
the fire had blown over. It has been limited
to Us that he wished to get rid of his wife to
marry a woman in Germany. You viii spare
wretched mothers feelings further, am